Taking Pictures of Buildings

[Computer Ninja]

Last weekend, I was in a major city in the Southwest. On Friday, I was in the downtown area, taking pictures of the city so that I could show my family and friends. I'm considering moving there, and wanted me wife to see everything I saw.

On Sunday, while at the airport, already through security, my friend and I apprehended by a U.S. Marshall and an FBI agent, along with a few of the city police. We were taken into custody at the airport police department, and questioned. Apparently, someone saw me taking pictures and noticed that I took pictures of a Federal building, in the city. I had to show them the photos on my laptop, explain to them why I was in the area, and so on.

They said that when they saw the vehicle we were in was rented by a man with a Middle Eastern name (my friend), we were from out of town, and I was seen snapping photos, they had to do some further investigation. Anyway, we missed our flight and were booked on a flight with the same airline for three hours later. Although it was a hassle, it did make me feel a tad safer.

Has anyone else had an experience like this? Any comments?

 

[metroshane]

That's your first post? I'm not sure I entirely believe it. I mean don't get me wrong, it's a familiar story...but all the pieces seem a little too convenient.

 

[Computer Ninja]

The nerve of some people. I'm new to this forum, and this is the reception I get.

Go to hell. Didn't your mother ever tell you, "If you have nothing nice to say, don't say it at all."

You think I'd go out on the net, looking around for a photo forum, and post something bogus?

 

[voodoocat]

I hope you can stick around Computer Ninja.
One persons opinion doesn't reflect the rest of the forum.

I never thought your story was fake. We hear stuff like this on occasion.
However, the one thing that doesn't make sense is how the authorities even at the airport discovered you were taking pictures of buildings. Is it a building that is close to the airport? Were you taking pictures from the airport? That part doesn't make sense.

 

[metroshane]

Go to hell? Wow, super freak-out. I'm starting to realize why Dew and Doxx left. :cry:

 

[graigdavis]

Go to hell? Wow, super freak-out. I'm starting to realize why Dew and Doxx left. :cry:

Yea, your rite, they left because of new people telling an experience they had. Your the one that called BS on him. Both you need to start over. Welcome to the forum CN.

By the way, I have had similar problems in Cleveland.

 

[voodoocat]

Go to hell? Wow, super freak-out. I'm starting to realize why Dew and Doxx left. :cry:

No, Dew left because she has a self-inflated opinion of herself and we are a bunch of crappy photographers that can't help her get any better.

 

[Chase]

And Doxx was on yesterday or the day before (can't remember which one)

 

[terri]

And Doxx was on yesterday or the day before (can't remember which one)

I noticed him!! He didn't post though, to give anyone a chance to say Hi....


Welcome to the forum, CN..... We had a recent thread about these various hassles, starting to pop up more and more. I have mixed feelings about it all, frankly. You say it overall made you feel safe. Did you not feel the least bit violated, after showing your PC, etc?

 

[Computer Ninja]

If you read my post closely, you'll see that on Friday, I was downtown, taking pictures of the city, and on Sunday, I was nabbed and interrogated. They asked why I took pictures of the Federal Building on Friday.

Showing them my PC, at MY control, on my lap, didn't really violate me. They didn't go sifting through it. They didn't even make me show them what was on my 256MB USB Dongle I carry with me. I told them it carries personal documents, not pictures (as they had asked).

Safe is just relative to knowing that the U.S. authorities are at least active in such things.

Back to the incident on Friday: Someone in the city saw me taking photos. They saw the license plate of the car we were in and started their "police" work. Two days later, they nabbed us. They must have had photos of us...this part, I can't figure out yet. Did they pull up our driver's licenses, or did they use surveillance at the airport to nab (a bit more unliklely and Hollywood-like) us?

 

[Computer Ninja]

What I didn't mention was that they wanted to know if I took a picture of the entrance to that federal building or of the building's security system. I didn't, and that made them feel better.

I asked them what if I DID have photos of the front entrance (by chance)? They said that they'd have to be REALLY convinced that no harm was done by the photos.

 

[voodoocat]

Back to the incident on Friday: Someone in the city saw me taking photos. They saw the license plate of the car we were in and started their "police" work. Two days later, they nabbed us. They must have had photos of us...this part, I can't figure out yet. Did they pull up our driver's licenses, or did they use surveillance at the airport to nab (a bit more unliklely and Hollywood-like) us?

Thanks. that fills in the holes.

 

[Computer Ninja]

No problem.

 

[Cuervo79]

That sucks man... still I wouln't feel safer because of what happened to you... the sad thing is that the ppl who aren't doing anything wrong are the ppl they allways question and detain...

 

[Chase]

It's a rough situation, because all they have to do is catch one person who was trying to do something and then it would be hard for me to say its all a bad idea. What if one of the pilots of one of the 9/11 planes was caught in a similar manner?

I'm not saying I'm for it, but at the same time, its hard for me to be totally against it all. I guess it comes down to a really tough question(and yes I realize it isn't this simple, but I believe it is an interesting question...):

How much freedom are you willing to give up in exchange for more safety and how much safety are you willing to give up in exchange for more freedom?

I really don't know where I stand on that scale... :?